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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29894655">A Stray Interlude</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ROGUEFURY/pseuds/ROGUEFURY'>ROGUEFURY</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Feral Interludes [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Wolverine (Movies), Wolverine and the X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men (Original Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types, X-Men Origins: Wolverine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure &amp; Romance, Alternate Universe - Mutants, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Animalistic, Dominance, F/M, Feral Behavior, Mutants, Oral Sex, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Sex, Roughness, Seduction, Sex, The Feral Interludes, Unrequited Lust, Victor Creed finds a Feral Female, X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 17:48:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,805</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29894655</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ROGUEFURY/pseuds/ROGUEFURY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A wayward Victor Creed finds himself alone and in a rut loping through the streets of Post-Civil War New Orleans. He runs into an alluring woman and finds himself taking shelter with her during a stormy night. Victor/Isabela, Alternate Universe "A Feral Interlude" timeline.</p><p>*Smut, graphic adult themes, implied violence, and dastardly, sexy Victor Creed. Readers be advised*</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Victor Creed/ Feral Female OC, Victor Creed/Female Feral, Victor Creed/Isabela Montecristo, Victor Creed/OFC</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Feral Interludes [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2198046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Stray Interlude</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: Adult content, adult situations, explicit sexual content. I do not own any aspect or character of the Marvel Universe nor elements of the X-Men Origins movieverse.</p><p>This is an alternate universe one shot that accompanies my Victor/OC story, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29831157/chapters/73397880">"A Feral Interlude."</a> </p><p>If you haven't read that one yet, I suggest you do so to pick up all the little intricacies in this story. I wrote this after a good friend, Seph7, wanted a story where Victor and Isabela meet much earlier in history. Hope you enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The heat was getting to him. The muggy haze hung over the city like a stifling veil, and it was all he could do not to tear his clothes off and stalk the streets in the nude. Snorting, he could picture Jimmy's mortified look if he did just that.</p><p>There. He couldn't go too long without thinking of the runt. It'd been a few days since the brothers had their last blow up argument. Jimmy had said some hurtful things, and Victor had retaliated by giving him a good beating. The runt had slugged him in the face in retaliation and told him it was about time they'd go their separate ways. Victor had been furious, irate, but most of all, he'd been stunned into a numbness…a cold fear that this time Jimmy was serious.</p><p>He retaliated the only way he could muster and still save face. He told Jimmy he was right, and that he would give him exactly what he wanted, but that if he left he wouldn't be coming back. The runt had looked at him, struck by the irrevocable calm with which he threatened to leave. With that said, Victor grabbed his coat and left. That had been days ago. The usually stone-cold feral felt a pang ebb through his chest, and this sensation was lonesome to him.</p><p>
  <em>Don't you dare think it. Don't you dare give in…</em>
</p><p>His thoughts were irascible, self-loathing. It only served to increase his fury for the mortals around him.</p><p>Victor strolled down Canal Street into the French Quarter, clawed hands shoved into his dusty coat pockets, chin tucked low and smoky blue eyes focusing on the sidewalk that stretched in front of him. He avoided eye contact with the frails around him, knowing if he even sensed a hint of disdain or airs in someone's gaze towards him, he was liable to rip their larynx out without as much as a growl.</p><p>Damned fools were enjoying life, drinking and whoring and gambling, singing and flirting in the balconies overhead, as if nothing else mattered. It'd been over a year since the war ended, and with nowhere to go or call home, Victor and Jimmy had wandered into Louisiana and struggled to make a life after war. Their regimented lives in the Union Army, from what they did to how they styled their hair had just ceased one day, and both ferals were left reeling in the loss of purpose. James had managed to get odd jobs wherever he could find them in the city, while Victor squandered his allowance on booze and not much of else. Jimmy had let him wallow for quite a while until the brawling increased. Victor had an insatiable rage, and no matter what he did he was left seething—vicious and rancorous.</p><p>He'd lost interest in keeping up his end of the façade. From his often crumpled clothes to his now long hair and mutton-chopped whiskers, he looked a man uninterested in being like the rest of the men around him. Unlike Victor, James still kept the illusion, and was trying to make it in this post-bellum world.</p><p>Victor just couldn't stomach it. Stopping at an intersection, he looked around and realized he had no clue where the hell he was. Running his clawed fingers through his shoulder-length mane, he scowled, watching as high society sons of bitches across the street bustled into a swanky social club the likes of him wouldn't even be good enough to serve in. It boiled his blood, but he crossed the street anyway, knowing one of these pricks wouldn't be able to keep their sniveling airs in check.</p><p>As he stalked across the cobblestone street and between carriages, he noticed one carriage pull around to the front of the club and a foot attendant climbing down from the back to open the door for the occupant inside.</p><p>He first saw her sun-kissed skin veiled in intricate black lace as her slender arm reached out to be helped out of the carriage. Then it was her eyes, brilliant frondy green with striking russet rings around her pupils, when they glanced in his direction without focusing directly on him. The red silk of her corset was draped around her in an Italian fashion, with the skirt flowing in an A-line from her hips, accentuating the slenderness of her waist. Her glossy dark hair was held back with obsidian combs and what little spilled free curled and waved in lovely undulations around her shoulders and down her back.</p><p>It took Victor a minute to fully take her in as he walked distractedly through the crowd. He was a little befuddled with himself when he actually walked into some pompous man who'd strolled hurriedly down the club's front steps towards the arrived carriage.</p><p>The man stumbled sideways into another man while Victor came to a halt, inwardly chastising himself for being distracted just as the man cursed and righted himself to glare at him. "How rude! Watch where you are going, you damned popper!" the man berated in an English accent, his snooty expression disdainfully aimed at him before shooting over to the man he'd staggered into. "Damned city needs to do something about these ruffians, Antoine—!"</p><p>"What did you call me, you limey bastard?" Victor growled in a controlled tone, eyes narrowing dangerously on the man.</p><p>"David!" the three men looked over at the woman who'd distracted Victor into the damned altercation, but instead of seeing her venomous glare aimed straight at him, it was imperiously boring into the limey fuck who'd insulted him. She walked past the footman and the other gentlemen standing about waiting for a fight to erupt. When she stood adjacent to Victor, his senses seemed to be jolted by the electricity of her presence so near him and the absolutely awe-inspiring scent that seductively washed over him. "If I'd known you've taken to verbally abusing people you believe to be beneath or of a lower station than you, I would've definitely declined your invitation. I don't fraternize with haughty ignorant scoundrels, whether they're from old <em>or </em><strong>new</strong> money!"</p><p>Slack-jawed, the man frenetically pointed at Victor and bit between clenched teeth, "This <em>man</em> bumps into me and has the audacity to call me a limey bastard, did you not hear him—!?"</p><p>"If I was a man taking a stroll and minding my own business only to end up bumping into some entitled fool like yourself who'd have the nerve to insult me, the least you'd get away with is being called a limey bastard," the intriguing woman countered smoothly, no hint of judgment in the statement, but her eyes flickered with something scathing and imperious.</p><p>Victor stood, trying to submerge his wide-eyed astonishment at being defended by a high class socialite on the street in front of men he could've disemboweled without much effort.</p><p>He watched the bastard stammer a defense and hasty apology to her, but the woman simply turned to the other man and humorlessly smiled. "Antoine, please accept my apologies, but I shan't be dining with you or your guest. I feel I've been sullied simply by association with such a beleaguered social climber. Good night." And with that, she turned and confidently returned to her carriage. Victor stared after her, hackles raised and senses in awe of the command she held over her surroundings. When the carriage began to depart, he saw her glance out the window, her gaze landing on his seemingly for the first time. Her eyes were alluring, holding a flicker of mischief just as the carriage began to bustle away.</p><p>Victor stood there, watching it go, a feeling of ardent want pooling in his chest before zinging down into his loins. Recovering from his stunned silence, Victor honed in on the bastard, who just looked forlornly at the man named Antoine who shook his head at him before returning to the club. Fighting a vicious grin, Victor stepped dangerously close to the man and in a gravelly whisper warned, "You're very lucky we're in a crowd, you lime-sucking fuck. If I ever see you again, I'll make sure they find you hanging from your entrails on Bourbon St."</p><p>Watching the man blanch, Victor flicked his tongue against a sharp fang before purposely shoving past the man and stalking away. It drove him mad that he couldn't let loose and follow through on the threat right then and there. He stewed about it as he walked, the animal harping on him when he stopped and sniffed the air.</p><p>Suddenly, he heard thunder echo in the distance. He sniffed the air again, sifting the smell of rain and stormy weather just over the darkening horizon. Crossing the street, he set his jaw at the thought of having to sleep under a bridge or worse, under a building awning in the fucking rain. He didn't even have a penny in his pocket; had gone broke on his last bottle of whiskey the night before. Grunting at himself, he just kept walking, until another scent practically punched him in the nose.</p><p>It was her scent—that wild and heady mixture of roses soaked in…in blood? Yes…that had been what had struck him. It was such a familiar scent, but it'd never been sweet and alluring. Gaze darting about, he tried to sift the scent out of the cornucopia of smells wafting in the warm breeze when his nose directed him due east down a street with a row of Spanish buildings that were chic storefronts with lavish apartments above. He saw the same footman from before exiting one two-story home nestled in the far corner of the block with a wrought iron gate and Spanish-moss-covered front garden. The man climbed back onto the carriage parked across the street and off it went, leaving Victor alone on the cobblestone block.</p><p>Victor loped cautiously down the street, combing wayward strands of hair out of his face as he covertly glanced at the building and walked by it. Stopping at the corner, he turned and walked back, intrigue taking over as he went through the gate and stopped in the front garden. Her scent was stronger, much more tantalizing.</p><p>He vacillated. Could he break in…? Should he—?</p><p><em>Take her, bed her, and rest. A storm is coming…</em> The animal inside him whispered, and Victor couldn't help feel a comforting shiver course through him.</p><p>Strolling around the front garden, he noticed a narrow walkway around the side of the building. He went down it, left hand caressing the mossy wall as he entered a back patio that resembled a nymph-like haven. Candles flickered in hanging glass lanterns on the porch, and when he roved around the flower-lined path, he saw the porch door was open.</p><p>He quietly climbed the stairs and loomed in the doorway, senses reaching out to pick up sounds from inside. Her scent was inviting now—almost dewy in the moisture-filled air. Cautiously, Victor walked over the threshold, minding his steps on the hardwood floor. Crossing through the back parlor and into the main room, his gaze wasn't impeded by the dim candlelight, even as dusk quickly advanced, aided by the coming storm clouds. The low rumble of thunder quaked outside just as he glanced through a doorway before stepping into the foyer just before the staircase. An indecipherable shiver coursed down his spine as he went up the first step and heard movement in one of the bedrooms above.</p><p>Pausing, Victor tilted his head and closed his eyes, letting his hearing and sense of smell direct his next move. Her scent was like a warm embrace over his senses, and before long he ascended the staircase and loomed in the hallway, opening his eyes and honing in on the ajar door from which delicate candlelight spilled forth. The pitter patter of rain began outside, and the cool breeze of the storm filtered through the windows of the house. Standing in the hallway, Victor felt lust and nervous anxiety coil in the pit of his gut, a jarring yet exhilarating combination that left him having to mind his breathing as he stepped silently towards the door.</p><p>Peeking through the opening, he could see a divan chair with her dress laid out across it next to a table with a candelabra that provided part of the illumination in the room. He heard her move from one corner to the center of the room. Setting his jaw, Victor pushed the door quietly open and stood in the doorway. His gaze fell on her, and the lust of before paled in comparison to what he felt now at the sight of her. She was in her delicate and mouthwatering undergarments—corset and garter belts cinching her supple curves and smooth skin, lace camisole revealing a delicate hint of breast and silk stockings riding up her long legs—standing with one leg lifted to the foot of her bed while she unfastened the garter and eased the stocking slowly off, hair spilling over one shoulder and swaying beautifully.</p><p>He watched her for a long moment, eyes roving possessively over her as she continued with unfastening the other garter and easing the final stocking off her as the frilly panels of her corset came deliciously close to riding up and exposing her lovely backside to him. A breeze fluttered through the drapes of the corner window just as the crack of lighting lit up the sky and the bedroom momentarily.</p><p>"I'm glad you found your way, and just in time. This storm is going to last all night…" she spoke serenely, her back still to him as she straightened and tossed the stockings onto a chair by the window.</p><p>Victor stiffened in place, exhaling slowly. He was floored and taken aback, not knowing what to do. The storm began to intensify outside as if in response to her comment. She turned around and gazed at him sideways, a soft smile flirting on her lips.</p><p>He was standing in her doorway, imposing and rugged, and slightly bemused by her. She admired his handsome features for a second time since noticing him on the street earlier in the evening. His broad shoulders practically filled the doorframe, barrel chest clothed in a shabby dark shirt and dusty brown coat barely concealing the strength that surged from him. Rumpled trousers on powerful legs and beaten up work boots completed his appearance of a man seldom caring of his attire, let alone his handsome yet fierce features. A strong jaw and high cheekbones were covered in dark fur styled in unruly mutton-chops, boyish lips softly parted and revealing ferocious fangs that gleamed in the candlelight. His enigmatic eyes were fixed on her, smoky blue flaring crystalline from another lighting bolt that lit the night, and his long hair dangling down to caress his shoulders and the sides of his face seemed so fine that a good finger combing was all it needed most of the time.</p><p>This young vagabond smelled divine, like fury and soil and masculinity. He stood out from other men, and she couldn't put her finger on it until she'd seen his clawed fingertips.</p><p>Turning to face him fully, she stood with her weight resting on one hip, arms resting at her sides. "You don't have to stay in the doorway…please come in. I've been expecting you," she murmured with genuine repose in her voice.</p><p>Victor shifted minutely, but vacillated, glancing about the room as if he expected a trap to spring on him any moment. His eyes bore intensely at her as he stepped into her room, expression guarded as he stood close, only a few feet away from her. "Expecting me to do what?" he suddenly asked in a husky tone, eyes fixed on hers.</p><p>Eyes lowering alluringly, the woman smiled sensually at him. "To take shelter with me tonight…" she stepped closer, hand reaching up to cup his cheek while the other rested on his shoulder.</p><p>Victor caught her wrist and glanced at her taloned fingertips before staring down at her. "What are you…you smell so different."</p><p>The russet ring around her pupils dilated. "I'm like you…" she caressed the hand from his shoulder to the center of his chest, "I don't know how to explain it, but you stand out to me, and I feel I do the same for you…?"</p><p>Victor felt any aggression ebb away in him. He was so curious; something inside him aching for whatever this beautiful creature was offering him. His hand slid from her wrist to the back of her hand before he brought it to cup his cheek as she'd originally attempted. He shut his eyes as she stroked his cheek with genuine affection, relishing in the kind touch before his hand trailed down her arm to cradle her lower back while his other hand caressed her jaw.</p><p>The storm outside intensified, blowing wind and rain to howl powerfully as the two ferals stood before each other. Her fingertips crept from his cheek to comb through his hair, earning a soothed exhale from him as he pulled her against him brashly before lowering to capture her lips in a starved and ardent kiss. Victor felt a rush of pride and pleasure flood him when she kissed him back with gusto, her arms wrapping around his broad shoulders and her body pressing to cling to his when the kiss deepened.</p><p>Victor couldn't remember the last time he'd been with a woman, but something clicked inside him at having this woman in his arms. Pulling back, he husked, "Wait…what if I hadn't caught your scent? You…you wanted me to follow you, but what if I hadn't?" he paused, eyes stern and expression ambivalent as he added, "Were you so sure I was some wretched fuck that I'd come sniffing for you?"</p><p>Head tilting slightly, she coolly considered his words before closing the distance between them and slipping her hands into his coat, sliding it off his shoulders to hastily be tugged off by Victor and discarded to the ground as he grabbed her wrists and growled warningly at her. Breath hitching slightly, she gazed openly at him as she murmured, "If our roles had been reversed, I would have pursued you, whether deliberately or absently. You are no wretch…and I'm sure you will be more than an adequate fuck," she purred scintillatingly at him.</p><p>Licking his lips, Victor's eyes lowered to her mouth as he contemplated her words. Hunger shone in his eyes as he buried his clawed hands into her silky hair and craned her head delicately into an angle that forced her back to arch and her chest to press against his. "You want me to fuck you, is that all?" he confidently murmured against her lips before nuzzling her jaw and lowering to kiss her neck. "If that's all this was about, you could've just said so on the street…or were you too busy keeping up appearances?" he teased with an aggressive edge to his tone before adding, "Did you just want to get dominated—to get ravished by a dangerous thug like me, is that it?"</p><p>Eyeing him sideways, she suddenly took the upper hand by spinning them around and pushing him against a bedpost, pulling his suspenders off his shoulders and grabbing fistfuls of his shirt before tearing the offending garment open and off of him as if it was tissue paper. The look in Victor's eyes was priceless.</p><p>She pressed him back-first into the bedpost with her palms before brushing a warm kiss against his collarbone and glancing up at him through her lashes. "Dangerous? I'm sure you are, but you're in similar company in that regard," she whispered, adding confidently, "The ravishing would be mutual, as would the pleasure we'd share in…but that's only if you want to share in a night of intimacy with me."</p><p>Victor felt like a hot coil of pleasure was beginning to unwind inside him, his whole body reacting to her sensuality and to her exquisite invitation. He was so aroused it was a miracle he could think straight with the heat in his loins and his cock throbbing wantonly in his trousers.</p><p>When she took a step back he reached for her. She playfully kept out of reach, and he growled, grabbing her and picking her up effortlessly, hands kneading her firm ass as he pressed her hips against his. Earning a soft gasp from her, Victor rubbed his cock against her, the slow delicious friction causing her breath to hitch and a sweet smell to reach his nose.</p><p>"I got you this wet for me, and I haven't even gotten your knickers off yet," he grinned as he panted against her lips. "If you stay this wet for me all night, I'll keep you cumming so good you won't ever want it to end, gorgeous…" he flirted in a gravelly tone before stealing a kiss and laying her down on the foot of the bed.</p><p>She stared up at him through hooded eyes, her breasts rising and falling with her deep breathing, nipples standing against the fabric of her chemise. He loomed over her just as another bolt of lighting lit the night and highlighted him. All he had on now were his trousers with the suspenders hanging off of them after having kicked his boots off. She sat up to assist him with his pants when he grabbed her hands and pinned them down on the bed, forcing him to loom over her and press between her legs. He growled, baring his teeth in a show of sexual dominance before she wriggled impatiently under him. Victor responded by kissing and suckling on her neck for slow and teasing moments before lowering to kiss her breasts through the flimsy chemise while his hair dangled and trailed across her body with his movements. Using the tip of his tongue, Victor circled one of her taut nipples before pressing his mouth over it to suckle and lick lasciviously. She sighed in pleasure and arched against his mouth, wrists wringing against his grip when he suddenly nipped her excited flesh hard. Gasping, she bucked her hips against his, earning a pleased groan from him as he switched his attention to the other nipple. The wet spot he left on the chemise caused her nipple to rub against it and throb with hypersensitivity, sending a hot ache down between her thighs.</p><p>"Fuck, you smell so damned good…" he purred against her breast, hands dragging down her arms to cup her generous flesh and squeeze before he decidedly ripped the chemise off of her. Her exposed breasts were lovely supple mounds for his mouth to enjoy and toy with, so he did with gusto, all the while the pressure against his fly becoming more and more maddening.</p><p>As if they both had thought the same thing, she reached for his waist when he sat up enough for her to attempt kissing his chest. When her hands cupped his erection through his trousers, Victor thought he just might cum in his pants right then and there, so he stiffened and grabbed her delicate wrists again. Sighing in frustration, she dove for his mouth and kissed him possessively, their tongues flirting rapaciously until she pulled her hands free and combed them through his hair before gripping the back of his mane and murmuring hotly, "Before you bury your cock in me, I want to touch and taste it, lover. I want to claim your body as you are claiming mine…"</p><p>He groaned in pleasure at the havoc her words caused on his throbbing sex, so he shuffled to the end of the bed and snaked his hands up her thighs before forcefully pulling her to the edge of the bed by the backs of her knees. "Oh, you'll get your chance, you sexy minx, but not before I get these knickers off and taste that hot and wet pussy of yours," he panted in a gruff purr as his claws tore the silk fastenings keeping knickers and corset attached before pulling the offending garment away and off her smooth legs. His mouth was already watering at the sight of her soft delicate flesh, the pads of his fingers rubbing her damp sex as he groaned and she writhed and mewled sweetly. Bringing his damp fingers to his mouth, he licked them clean of her taste and moaned, eyes locked on hers as she bit her lip and tried pressing her thighs closed.</p><p>Growling, he dipped down and kissed the tops of her knees before kissing his way up her thighs, alternating from one to the other before reaching her hairless apex and planting a wet kiss there as he forced her thighs open so he could curl the tip of his tongue along her soft cleft. Crying out softly, she dug her talons into the bedding under her as he groaned, mouth pressed firmly against her sex while his tongue continued to cause excruciating pleasure on her. Leaning half on the bed, Victor wrapped her legs around his shoulders as he continued to devour her, eyes half lidded with drunken desire as he became intoxicated by her sweet taste. Her body arched off the bed, her hands gripping her corseted waist before burying into the back of his shoulder-length hair as he nuzzled her and teased her pulsing clitoris.</p><p>Victor couldn't get enough. He'd only meant to tease her a bit before letting her touch and suck him, but after tasting her, he wanted to fuck her with his mouth and make her cum on his tongue so he could taste her climax. His oral ministrations were driving her wild, at least he figured as much by how her fingers gripped his hair and the lovely sounds she was making. She arched against his mouth when he suckled possessively on her clitoris, caressing the swollen little nub with the flat part of his tongue before twirling it ravenously against the hypersensitive flesh.</p><p>Stiffening, she cried out, thighs tensing around Victor as she became awash with her climax. She mewled when he kept devouring her, causing shivers to course through her and her legs to tremble. Victor moaned against her flesh, lapping and licking her orgasm and nuzzling her sensitive flesh before kissing the inside of her thigh and rubbing his mutton-chopped cheek against it. He smiled, her body relaxed under him as he began climbing slowly to loom over her so he could nudge his head affectionately against her and nip possessively at her neck. Her hands caressed up his forearms to trail along his upper back and shoulders, turning her face to gaze beautifully up at him. Victor admired her features, caressing the backs of his knuckles along her cheek before lowering to kiss her.</p><p>When she rolled him onto his back, Victor let out a surprised chuckle and pulled her close so he could kiss her breasts.</p><p>She hummed in pleasure, reluctantly pulling away so she could straddle him. He stared up at her, dressed only in the damnable corset, and for a few seconds they both just gazed at each other while the storm continued outside and a breeze barreled through the drapes. Then, she lowered and kissed his chest, trailing down his stomach before shimmying back so she could unfasten his trousers. When she freed his throbbing erection, Victor hummed and watched her as she pulled his pants off and began to stroke him. Her hands were soothing but powerful, stroking him firmly and caressing him in tantalizing ways that left his heavy sack aching to be emptied inside her. Just when he started to feel impatient in his need, he felt her lips wrap around the head of his cock, and the sensation had him arching his back and bucking his hips up against her mouth.</p><p>Her mouth was heaven. It was unlike any other blowjob he'd ever gotten, and he was so wound up he was sure he'd fill her mouth with his seed if she so much as moaned around him. "Dammit…oh damn that feels so good," he drunkenly groaned, her mouth sucking around his cock and tongue twirling possessively before licking up the underside and laving his sensitive tip. He shivered at the sensation, completely riled up and unable to wait any longer.</p><p>Pulling her up from her ministrations by her hair, he tossed her onto the bed before he pounced down on her. She yelped and began to say something when he silenced her with a voracious kiss. His hands cradled her up against him so he could try pulling at her damned corset. It was almost a circuitry of strings and snaps that no matter how he tugged on wouldn't come undone, and he didn't want to yank too hard and hurt her. Kissing her shoulder and having her straddle his thighs, Victor hissed and cursed under his breath, "For the love of—what the hell, I can't get this fucking thing off!"</p><p>She hummed in impatience. "Just forget it, lover. I want you now I'll take it off later—!"</p><p>"To hell with that! I want you naked, even if I gotta cut you out of this fucking thing—!"</p><p>Growling herself for the first time, she slapped his hands away so she could reach behind herself and attempt to unfasten the corset. His nails lengthened from his exasperation as he groused, "It'd be easier if you'd let me cut you out of it."</p><p>"Oh for heaven's sake, then do it," she hissed heatedly as she turned and gathered her long hair to pull it over her shoulder so as to allow him access to the back of her corset.</p><p>One hand curved around to press against her flat belly while the other wedged his clawed fingers into the top of the corset before yanking them down to slice through the strings and fastenings in one flick of his wrist. He snaked his hands into the corset and let her pull and toss it away before he pulled her against him. His hands caressed down her completely naked curves before dipping between her thighs to tease her exquisite pussy while he nipped and suckled on the muscle joining neck and shoulder. She sighed in pleasure, draping her arms behind her to hook around his neck and anchor herself to him as his hands spread her knees so she could straddle him from behind.</p><p>His ramrod erection rubbed between her legs and left her eager for him to be buried to the hilt inside her. She turned her head and met his lips in a torrid kiss, her tongue caressing along his lips before he suckled on her bottom lip and growled hotly against her. When she turned halfway to wrap her arms around him and deepen the kiss, Victor grabbed her and turned her around before picking her up to bring her down onto his lap. She straddled him, one hand burying in the back of his hair while the other gripped the back of his shoulder when he positioned his cock against her entrance and began to push up inside her.</p><p>Mewling gently as he entered her, she rolled her hips down on his hard manhood and earned a groan from Victor. He bucked up into her to the hilt, and both ferals cried out at the sensation of being filled and clenched, bodies beginning to rock passionately into a rhythm of rough-but-tender lovemaking. They tangled in each other as they fell to the bed, bodies writhing in pleasure while hands and mouths caressed each other possessively. The sounds of the storm outside were blocked out by the rushing of blood behind their ears, the pounding of their pulses, and the sounds of their cries of pleasure.</p><p>Rolling on top of her, Victor braced his hands on either side of her as he began to pound into her with bruising strokes that made the headboard bang against the wall from several forceful thrusts. Her legs wrapped around his waist while her hands gripped his forearms, hips undulating to meet his every thrust and drive him deeper into her sheath. It was such a sensational session of coupling that Victor thought they were going to smash the headboard or get busted in by a patrolman from all the noise. Then she did something so fucking amazing he lost it.</p><p>Just as he held her up by her lower back so he could angle his thrusts upwards, she clenched around him and cried out, nails biting into his forearms and the flash of ferocious teeth before she wrapped her legs around him like a vice and bit down on his shoulder. Victor's mind overloaded and before he knew it he was roaring, climaxing with such force that his claws lengthened and he thrust convulsively into her in the throes of a mind-blowing orgasm. He felt his orgasm fill her with his hot seed, their bodies throbbing and burning up as he collapsed on top of her and panted against her temple. The stinging bite mark on his shoulder and cuts in his forearms barely welled with blood before healing.</p><p>They remained in the tenderness of their afterglow for long moments where only the heat of their bodies and breaths kept them anchored while they recovered from sexual bliss.</p><p>"Holy hell…" he panted in a raspy groan.</p><p>"Mmm, the feeling is mutual, lover…" she purred against his jaw.</p><p>He chuckled, mustering enough effort to roll off of her and lay on his back next to her. They remained like that until their afterglows dissipated and they could hear the wind and rain outside again. When he felt her shivering against him, he reached over and tugged her against him, burying his nose into the top of her hair and inhaling her addictive scent. She hummed, relishing his furnace-like warmth in the stormy night air.</p><p>"Oh damn."</p><p>"Hmph?"</p><p>"You tore off most of my clothes. I kind of need something to wear so I don't end up in a cell for the night," he groused acerbically while his hands caressed her body seductively.</p><p>Sitting up on her elbow, she quirked a delicate eyebrow at him. "I meant it when I said you could take shelter with me…are you that uncomfortable post-coital that you'd run out in this storm?" she teased her talons trailing delicately down his chest and abdomen to stop short of his hips.</p><p>He hummed, fighting the smirk that quirked his lips. "Do I strike you as the skittish or uncomfortable type?"</p><p>"You strike me as the type to not lounge in repose with a woman he's just bedded," she countered and smirked alluringly.</p><p>"Yah got me there," was all he offered as he stretched out and settled back down next to her.</p><p>She laughed at that, a lovely melodious sound that warmed him the same way a great glass of bourbon would. He turned onto his side to admire her naked form as she lounged with one arm tucked under her head and the other draped along her side. Humming, he reached out and caressed her skin with his retracted claws, taking in the silken texture unlike that of other women. She didn't have any pubic hair, nor did she have any discernable scars or birthmarks, save for a slightly raise shadow that skirted her womb. Absently, he trailed his fingers along the mark, and she inhaled sharply before shying away from his touch.</p><p>"Sorry…that tickled," she murmured, her exotic eyes lowering to his hand as it hesitated in touching her again. Taking his hand, she brought it to her lips and kissed the backs of his knuckles, eyes lifting up to his stormy blue depths.</p><p>He licked his lips, already getting half hard from watching her lips brush his knuckles affectionately before he curved his hand to cup her cheek and brushed his thumb over her full lips. Seductively, she kissed his thumb and turned her face into his calloused palm to kiss it too while glancing at him with hooded eyes. Before he even thought of the impulse, he was kissing her, pulling her close and touching her possessively again. She hummed against his ravenous mouth, grappling flirtatiously with him to roll on top of him and straddle his lap. The thunder and lighting outside was completely ignored by the two ferals as she stroked his hardening erection against her hot and dampening sex while Victor watched her hungrily.</p><p>Grabbing her waist, he pulled her down onto him, relishing in the heat of her molten sheath as his cock pressed into her. Moaning softly, she let him set the pace, his claws digging into her hips as she bucked down on him with aggressive passion. Her hands gripped his pecs when she lowered to kiss him, an electrifying sensation that left him ravenous for domination and being dominated. She began to ride him hard, the slapping of her hips meeting his lap echoing brashly in the room as thunder roared in the background and Victor's lust-drunk growls mingled with her soft cries and gasps.</p><p>He loved how roughly she was riding his cock, and he loved that he could thrust up into her with abandon even more. Her body was nubile yet lithe, slender yet voluptuous in all the right places, and underneath the surface, he could feel a burning power in her. When her eyes met his, Victor pulled her down by the hair and kissed her, mouth claiming hers before dragging to nip and scrape down her jaw before settling on the side of her neck.</p><p>She arched against him, breath hitching in such a beautiful way that Victor flipped their positions and forced her against the headboard, precariously balanced only on his hips for purchase. His cock was buried inside of her and his chest pressed her against the headboard as he began to fuck her against the wall.</p><p>"I can't get enough of you, beautiful…" Victor panted against her lips, his fangs peeking as he half smirked and added, "You like me deep inside your tight pussy, dontcha?"</p><p>Her green and russet colored eyes seemed to glow warmly at him as she leaned close and licked his boyish lips sensually. "As much as you like your hard cock throbbing inside of me, lover," she purred provocatively against his mouth before kissing him.</p><p>Victor was floored by her. He whispered in her ear how bad he wanted her, and she murmured the words no other woman had said to him.</p><p>"Take me…I want you…"</p><p>She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him with genuine feeling, her lust enticing his to return the kiss with a yearning he never thought himself capable of displaying openly.</p><p>Their bodies never stopped rocking against each other in a scintillating rhythm that soon had her writhing against him while he balanced back on his knees and slammed her down on his cock with bruising strokes. When her climax began to ripple and clench around him desperately, Victor thrust into her and threw his head back to shout in drunken pride from her talons digging into the back of his shoulders and her breathless plea for him not to stop. Her blissful cry left him clutching her in his arms just as her sheath strangled around him and kept him deep inside her.</p><p>Victor's orgasm barreled through him so forcefully that he pounded into her with abandon before his whole body tensed and he filled her with his hot seed again. He groaned and pressed his forehead against hers, noticing numbly that he was still clutching her possessively in his arms before all strength left him and he collapsed to the bed. As he pulled out of her tight heat, he groaned with animalistic pride as he watched his thick seed drip down her thighs and onto the sheets. Caressing her fingers down between their bodies, she tenderly touched herself, fingers coating in the sticky remnants of their shared ecstasy before bringing the digits to her lips. She hummed around her fingers as his heady taste combined with her own sent electricity over her skin.</p><p>He watched her with a tantalized smirk on his lips as he brought his usually lethal fingers to caress her pussy before leaning in and kissing her cheek. "Do you want more of me? I want more of you, gorgeous," he purred in a steely tone, his other hand pulling her fingers from her lips so he could bring them to his and snake his tongue teasingly along the slender digits.</p><p>She smiled at him, shimmying to be pressed against him as she murmured, "The night isn't over yet, lover. Yes, I want more of you…are you up to it?"</p><p>Smirking confidently, he let her fingers comb soothingly through his long hair as he purred, "Up to it, and ready to oblige, beautiful…"</p>
<hr/><p>He growled sleepily and dragged his forearm over his eyes to block out the sunlight that suddenly peered across his face. It was several half conscious moments before Victor muttered a swear under his breath and turned over to peer blearily at the source of the light with a glower on his lips.</p><p>She was standing at the window and holding the drapes open, her nude form seeming to almost shimmer as it was caressed by the early morning sunbeams that washed through the window. Sleepiness was quickly batted away from his eyes as he stared at her, marveling at her luscious skin and mouth-watering body before she turned to glance over her shoulder at him.</p><p>"Good morning, lover," she murmured coolly before letting the drapes fall partially open as she turned to walk back to bed.</p><p>As she stretched out next to him, Victor watched as the light played across her sun kissed skin. His hand absently caressed the curve of her waist and hip. She answered the curious spark in his eyes with a serene smile and a chaste kiss before suggesting they both bathe. Victor snorted and let her lead the way into her boudoir, a lovely tiled room lit with natural light from the skylight above. A grand copper bathtub stood in the middle of the room, already filled with cool gleaming water and looking very inviting. Victor stepped into the tub first and held his hand out to her, a devious yet handsome smirk pulling on his lips as she took his hand and stepped into the tub with him.</p><p>Victor's hand went to glide down the curves of her body, his mouth kissing her shoulder as she reached for the soap. Looking up into his rugged features, she gave him an alluring smile as she got him to sit in the wide tub before kneeling behind him and reaching for a bath jug she filled with water and poured over his head. Hissing at having cold water dumped over him, he whirled halfway around and wiped his drenched hair out of his eyes.</p><p>"Jeez!" he began to protest when she pushed him back around and buried her long slender fingers into his hair, beginning to massage and lather his scalp with a fragrant hair wash. Victor's stiffened spine relaxed instantly, his expression cooling as she lathered his hair and combed through the soapy strands. "Why do I feel like a mutt that's being bathed…" he rumbled under his breath as he closed his eyes and tipped his head to the side when she scratched soothingly along the crown of his head.</p><p>She chuckled softly behind him. "There is no resemblance, but I have enjoyed your company. However you must admit, you could use a little grooming…" she began to massage the nape of his neck before moving to soap up and massage his broad shoulders.</p><p>He growled deep in his chest at that and deliberately leaned all his weight back against her. "And yer mouth could use a good fucking, sweetheart," he hissed with a seductive edge to the threat. When she crept her hands around his shoulders to drag down his chest, he turned around to face her and pushed her against the back of the tub. His mouth latched on the side of her neck as he tangled his lethal fingers to bury possessively into her hair.</p><p>She in turn fisted the back of his hair and pulled him up to meet her lips in an arduous kiss. In impassioned seconds he had her in his lap in the bath tub and was pushing his engorged cock into her tight heat. They coupled with frenetic passion and soon drove each other to such quick bliss that she was left trembling in his arms while he did his best not to tremble from the aftershocks of his orgasm.</p><p>When they recovered, Victor forced her to stand with him and pointedly began lathering her body up, washing her almost in retaliation for the bathing he'd endured, but in reality he wanted to relish in their intermingled scents before they were cleaned away completely. She sighed, knees trembling slightly as his hands soaped her up, one lingering between her thighs while the other caressed a breast. Picking up the jug, he filled it with water and poured it over her shoulders and down her front, not being able resist leering at her taut nipples before leaning in to tease them with his mouth. She hummed sensually and took the jug from him to rinse the soap out of his hair.</p><p>Once they were both rinsed of any remnants of their bath, they stepped out and dried off. Victor glanced at her when she busied herself on drying her hair, suddenly wondering if he had to worry about unwanted bundles of misery after spilling his seed inside her so many times in a row. She seemed unworried, so he wondered if she had one of those repugnant contraceptives he'd heard about; sea sponge or cotton soaked in lemon juice? He wrinkled his nose at the thought. If she did, he would've smelled it or felt it while inside her…</p><p>Glancing up at him, she caught his stare and seemed to read his mind. Closing the distance between them, she led him to her vanity and guided him to sit on her divan so she could comb her fingers through his damp hair and gaze openly into his eyes. "I'm a broken woman in that regard. No need to worry…"</p><p>His eyes flickered down to the shadow of a scar on her womb, and it all clicked for him. Pulling her closer by her hips, Victor purred nonchalantly, "Don't know what yah mean…"</p><p>Ruefully amused, she sidelong to the countertop of her vanity and picked up trimming scissors before cupping his chin and tilting his face up to look at her. "Well then, shall we continue with the grooming?" she said as she emphasized her intent by trimming the air.</p><p>He looked at the scissors warily then up at her. He was going to protest until she caressed his jaw covered in unruly mutton-chopped fur, then he realized she wasn't going to hack anything off. "As long as you don't make me look like some Dandy fuck…" he said sorely and leaned back.</p><p>She laughed, "Not at all. I like your rough edges…just need to emphasize them more…"</p><p>He smirked before licking his lips and giving her a confident look. "Fine. I'll humor you…" he murmured. Deep down, however, he loved the attention. He was submerging the pleasure he was feeling from just having someone bestow genuine affection empty of selfish gain or pretense on him. Even Jimmy hadn't made him feel like this in a very long time, their brotherhood being strained over the last couple years.</p><p>Closing his eyes, he gave in and ignored the seething skepticism of the animal inside him to savor instead in the doting care of another for a fleeting moment.</p>
<hr/><p>The waiter placed her expresso in front of her and gave Victor a quick glance before walking away. He eyed the man, not pausing as he wolfed down the last morsels of his eggs pontchartrain before reaching for a beignet and dunking it into his coffee.</p><p>"All the grooming in the world couldn't get me to fit in to a swank place like this…" he muttered more to himself than to her as he devoured the pastry, absently humming as he chewed the delicious treat boorishly. When he swallowed, he cleared his throat and looked self-consciously up at her, realizing he was eating like a savage slob.</p><p>Instead of the admonishing look he'd expected, she looked humorously pleased with him as she brought her expresso to her lips for a sip. She gave him an appreciative glance as he glance around for the dozenth time, taken with how handsome he looked with his long dark hair fastened back away from his face and his facial hair neatly trimmed back into clean mutton chops. The jacket she'd managed to have the tailor wrangle up for him fitted him like a glove, accentuating his broad shoulders and tapering off at his slim hips. The dark vest made his crisp white shirt pop and cinched around his barrel chest dapperly, his long muscular legs clothed in a smart pair of trousers and his original work boots clean and polished. The only savage things about him were his fangs, his tawny retracted claws, and the ferocious energy he exuded.</p><p>He'd been cautious and skittish once clothed in his new attire, having protested sourly about having her purchase clothes to replace the ones she'd practically shredded the night before. She quieted his protests quickly, however, once she suggested they have a stroll over to the social club for brunch. On the way, he'd escorted her with her arm folded into the crook of his as they chatted and she told him how handsome he looked, murmuring that it wasn't charity but desire to see him look so utterly magnificent that afforded him the new suit. That had earned a wide smirk and heat to pool in his stormy blue eyes.</p><p>Said blue eyes focused on her again, flickering to her mouth as he licked the confectionary sugar off of his lips. "So are you in the habit of picking up strays," he rumbled guardedly, his statement not really a question.</p><p>Leaning back in her chair, she sipped her expresso and pondered for a few moments. Placing the empty cup back on its saucer, she licked her delectable lips and responded, "I never pick up anything. It isn't in my nature to be generous towards men when I can live so comfortably off of their generosity instead. As I said last night…you stood out to me, and I was intrigued. If the feeling hadn't been mutual, you wouldn't have sought me out…"</p><p>"So you're not in the habit of picking up strays," he quipped, his eyes mischievous as he picked up another pastry and attempted to eat it a little more civilly than the last.</p><p>She laughed at that, the same melodious sound from the night before. It warmed his blood, and he found himself wanting her with an irrational yearning that blindsided him.</p><p>Her nostrils flared, and she smiled. "You insatiable hunk you," she teased, her smile so warm it crested her dazzling green and russet-ringed eyes. "How could you possibly want—"</p><p>"Isabela?"</p><p>Pausing, she looked up over Victor's shoulder. "Oh, David. So nice to see you," she stated, her tone speaking to the contrary.</p><p>The man felt a snippy edge rise in him, but he quelled it, unable to resist her beauty and the desire to be in her good graces again. She was wearing a lavender satin and brocade dress with a fitted bodice that made her already narrow waist impossibly statuesque, her lace sleeves tapering at the crook of her arm and her glossy dark hair held up in a Japanese comb with rogue silken strands caressing her face. He wanted so badly to trail kisses along her slender neck down to tease of cleavage hidden by the tight bodice. Glancing at the back of the man sitting with her, he felt an unbelievable wave of jealousy.</p><p>"And who, pray tell, is your companion?" he asked with facetious charm, watching as the man slowly turned in his chair.</p><p>Victor regarded the man as if a bug stood before him, a bug waiting to be crushed. The look on the asshole's face as recognition slowly dawned on him was priceless. "The name's Victor, Davey-boy. Funny seeing you again, ain't it," he trailed off sinisterly, letting the previous day's threat hang in the air while his gaze bore into the man's.</p><p>Stammering, the man backed away and continued to backpedal until he bumped into a waiter, and in a panic dashed out of the grand dining room. Other patrons watched him go and huffed under their breaths, not knowing it was a hardwired instinct from coming face to face with danger personified.</p><p>"Well, I guess you had choice words with dear David after I departed?" she remarked offhandedly, the amusement in her tone evident.</p><p>He turned back around and blinked at her, a smile tugging his boyish lips as he said, "I just realized, I didn't know yer name until just now."</p><p>Laughing, Isabela shook her head at him. "We were busy exchanging other pleasantries to bother with formalities…Isabela," she said and outstretched her hand in introduction.</p><p>Victor took it and kissed the back of her palm. "Well, name's Victor. Victor Creed. Isabela'll work nicer next time…in bed," he chuckled, letting her hand recede from his.</p><p>Humming with humor, she replied coyly, "A pleasure, Victor. One of many…" she winked. "Care to go for a stroll with me?"</p><p>Standing from his chair, he offered his arm to her and she took it. They exited the restaurant and they walked down the balmy streets, the cobblestones still wet from the deluge the night before. As they walked for several minutes, with no rush or care in the world, Victor murmured in her ear, "It's taking all effort not to drag you back to your place and get you to scream my name, Isabela…"</p><p>Subtly leading the way down a major avenue, Isabela replied serenely, "What's stopping you from taking me right here and now?"</p><p>Gaze focusing on her soberly, he growled in his chest, not sure if it was an earnest challenge on her part or if she was just teasing. Either way, no one had ever said anything like that to him. "You like to play with fire, dontcha," he husked against her ear as they continued to walk.</p><p>"No, I like to play with you," she said honestly and paused as they now crossed towards the train station. "That is, I've liked playing with you. But sadly, I must depart soon," she finished once they were on the corner next to the train station.</p><p>Victor halted in stride, looking at her quizzically before looking over at their location. There was a train in the station being made ready. He looked at the clock across the way in the square, and saw it was 20 minutes before noon. Looking down at her, he set his jaw and ran his clawed hand through his hair, having forgotten it was fastened back and causing a few rogue strands to escape the fastening and fall to dangle along the sides of his face.</p><p>"Yer just hopping the train, just like that?!" he asked in a hard tone, eyes skeptical as he cupped her elbows and pulled her closer. "You had this planned all along, didn't you…" he said in a husky tone, sounding angry despite himself.</p><p>"Unfortunately, I'd already made arrangements to take the trip. My footman had taken my luggage last evening so there wouldn't be a fuss this morning…I hadn't planned on running into someone so intriguing, Victor," she spoke softly and caressed his cheek.</p><p>Huffing through his nose, he took her hand and walked her to the front of the station and up the steps, crossing the lobby towards the platform. "Fuckin' serves me right for thinkin' with my dick…" he muttered to himself and halted before the platform and turned to her. "Thanks for the fucking amazing time. Have a good life—" he groused between clenched jaw and went to turn away from her before she grabbed his bicep and held him from departing.</p><p>Glancing down at the vice-like grip that came from her delicate and slender hand, he glowered at her. "Victor, I apologize for the abruptness. Don't be cross with me," she murmured, her eyes confident but soothing as they gazed into his. "I had a wonderful time as well…" she trailed off when he turned to face her.</p><p>Looking across the platform, Victor grumbled, "Where are you off to?"</p><p>"Manhattan, in New York—"</p><p>"I know where it is," he snapped, adding, "I don't suppose you plan on straying back this way any time soon."</p><p>"Something tells me you have quite the wanderlust yourself, Victor," she mused, her hands gliding up his forearms to rest on his biceps. "I never stay in one place too long…"</p><p>"Neither do I," Victor replied in a gravelly tone.</p><p>"Be that as it may…I'm sure we'll cross paths again."</p><p>He looked down at her, his gaze intensifying on her. It made his bones itch to have her in his arms and know it was a fleeting moment. A porter began ringing the bell to signal that the train was soon to depart. Exhaling through his nose, he grunted, "Try not to pick up any strays in New York City. They won't be as good as me."</p><p>Smiling, Isabela cupped the back of his neck and leaned up to kiss him. Victor closed the distance and met her in a passionate kiss that quickly turned quite torrid by Victorian standards. He kissed her with gusto and she deepened the kiss, her arms encircling his neck as he held her against him before reluctantly pulling back from the kiss.</p><p>"I wasn't teasing when I said you're the only stray I've picked up, Victor," she murmured against his lips, brushing them lightly with her tongue.</p><p>He tightened his grip on her waist. "Good. Keep it that way…now get on the train before I fuck you right here in front of all these people," he growled, stealing another kiss before letting her go.</p><p>Caressing his cheek, she kissed his jaw before turning to walk down to the platform and climb the steps of the first class caboose. Pausing at the door, she looked back at him and offered an affectionate wave and smile before going in and leaving his sight.</p><p>"All Aboard!"</p><p>Victor watched the train begin to start up and muster the momentum to bustle out of the station. He turned and walked back the way they came, his hands in his pocket and his thoughts stormy. Part of him was in a daze, unrelentingly muddled from all that had happened and processing that he was once again alone. The thought pissed him off; made him feel like a love-forlorn fuck. Just because they gravitated to each other and were explosive in bed didn't mean they were mates. Acting like a jilted suitor didn't suit him, so he shoved the feelings away. Crossing the street, he headed down towards a bustling boulevard, unnoticing of the people he passed. One man passed him in the opposite direction and skidded to a halt behind him.</p><p>"Victor?"</p><p>Pausing in his stride, Victor turned to look over his shoulder and realized he had walked passed Jimmy.</p><p>"Well I'll be damned, it is you," Jimmy said incredulously, scanning his brother from head to toe.</p><p>Victor turned around, annoyed until he realized he looked completely different since the last time his brother had seen him. "Hey, runt. Long time no see," he replied, a lopsided smirk pulling at his lips as he walked over to the shorter man.</p><p>"I'll say…so, what've you been up to…get a new job—?"</p><p>"Listen to you. Talking to me like I'm some acquaintance instead of your big brother," Victor retorted acerbically as he fiddled with the lapels of his jacket. "Nah, been doing pretty good though. Just a new suit and look…" he trailed off, adding, "How're things with you?"</p><p>"Uh, fine. Pretty good too, actually. So…guess we've done pretty well on our own, huh?" Jimmy, who Victor realized was dressed for work at the docks, stated in a pseudo-jovial tone.</p><p>"Guess so," was all Victor offered and confidently put his hands in his pockets.</p><p>"Good to hear…" he trailed off, not sure what he expected, but for some reason feeling let down that Victor seemed fine and in no rush to share what he's been up to.</p><p>"See yer working the docks."</p><p>"Hm, yeah, for now. Just trying to make enough money to save up and move on—"</p><p>"Well, good luck with that. Wish you the best, little brother," Victor said impatiently but managed to have it sound like he was running late as he turned and offered Jimmy a wave over his shoulder. He didn't want to pretend he was happy being alone, nor that he was happy the runt was doing so fucking great without him. And it wasn't like he was going to bow and admit what he was feeling either, so he just wanted to get the hell out of there and nurse his sore feelings over a bottle of whiskey.</p><p>"Victor, hold on!" Slowing down, he turned and watched as Jimmy caught up with him. "Listen…I know yer mad at me, and I can't blame you…I was wrong to have said what I said," he paused, looking expectantly up into Victor's guarded expression.</p><p>"Which part: the one where I'm an asshole who drags the both of us down, or the part where we should go our separate ways cuz I suffocate you?" he asked in an irrevocably stern tone.</p><p>"All of it." Victor let the answer weigh on him, but after a few seconds he didn't know what to say. He wanted to tell the runt tough shit, and that he got what he fucking wanted, but deep down, all he wanted to do was forget it all and go back to before they began fighting. "Victor, you're my brother, and all we've done to this point is to survive. I guess when we had nothing to survive against, we turned on each other…it wasn't a fair thing to do, and I was wrong. I…just wanted you to know that," James murmured the last part before smiling sadly and nodding a goodbye.</p><p>"Jimmy." Turning, the man expected to see his brother gloating, but instead he saw him have a sober smile that only widened when he put his hand on his shoulder and gave him a playful shove. "How 'bout a whiskey? Think we could both use one right now," he offered, his own way of apologizing and burying the hatchet, and Jimmy knew it.</p><p>Smiling, Jimmy nodded and put his arm around Victor. "Sure thing, but only if you tell me how the hell you afforded these clothes," he quipped.</p><p>Laughing, Victor threw his arm around Jimmy's shoulders and hugged him to his side. "Holy hell, runt, you wouldn't believe the time I've had since last night. If yer good, I'll give you all the juicy details, and they're liable to leave you hard and aching for days, trust me," he joked and lead the way to the nearest saloon, the rut he'd been in for so long completely lifted as he found himself proud and sated for the first time in a while.</p><p>"Oh really," Jimmy smirked. "Can't even give me a hint?"</p><p>Grinning, Victor quipped, "Let's just say I'm considering chopping this mop off, cuz getting it in your eyes while you're fucking is a distracting pain in the ass."</p><p>The two brothers laughed and continued to joke around as they loped down the street together, side by side, as if nothing had ever happened, and they were content to leave it all in the past and move on over lots of truce booze and some debauched stories of the night before, provided by the smug feral.</p><p>He went from having no one, to spending a wild night with a vixen, having the minx bid him farewell, and reuniting with his brother, all over the span of several days.</p><p>One thing was for sure. There was no place else like New Orleans.</p><p> </p><p>The End.</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! Please consider leaving a review and sharing your positive, constructive feedback. I would be eternally grateful to receive reader's comments.<br/><strong>As most, I'm on <a href="https://furious-rogue-stuff.tumblr.com/">tumblr</a>, so come say hello, or <a href="https://furious-rogue-stuff.tumblr.com/ask">ask me</a> something. Q&amp;A fun is fun.</strong></p></blockquote></div></div>
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